Boosting Performance Through Creative Surgery

1978 Mustang with a Nissan Turbo Inline-Four

Jason Bowman purchased a 1978 Ford Mustang II Mach 1 in 1992 when he was 18 years old. Over the years it has seen a full restoration and several engines. However it’s the last engine choice that really separates this Mustang from the herd.

The Mustang ran several Ford 302 ci V8 engines with the last having a .060 overbore. The engine had a hard time staying cool even with an aluminum radiator and electric fans. The three-speed automatic transmission didn’t help either, especially on the highway.

When Jason started considering another engine, he knew he wanted fuel injection and if possible drop some weight in the front. He also wanted taller gears only a five or six-speed manual could only deliver. Jason thought back to a 2.0 L SR20DET inline-four he installed in another vehicle and how well it performed. He realized the Nissan engine and accompanying transmission would solve his issues.

Originally Jason wanted a SR20DET and six-speed manual from a Nissan S15 but the Importer recommended using a Nissan S14A because it comes with a T28 ball bearing turbocharger and stronger five-speed manual.

Installing the inline-four into the Mustang engine bay required custom mounts that connected to the factory mount points. Even though it probably will never be turned back to a V8, Jason felt good knowing it still could. He also switched to a Subaru Justy alternator and Spriso Motorsports mount because the factory Nissan alternator and mount was too large.

The five-speed manual transmission was installed thanks to a modified Mustang II crossmember and GM transmission mount. Since the Mustang originally came with an automatic transmission Jason needed to build a clutch system. He built it using a Nissan 240SX master/slave cylinder and custom linkage.

The transmission connects to the factory Ford 8″ rear end via a custom driveshaft.

Inside the cabin Jason made a custom dash from aluminum, fiberboard, and fiberglass. The dash holds a rail Tech Vapor all-in-one dashboard flanked by AEM wideband and boost controller gauges. Below that is a series of toggle switches to control functions like lights and wipers.

Jason’s Mustang has given him many years of enjoyment and thanks to his tremendous work it will continue to do so.

Nice work; I’m sure it gives the owner a lot of pleasure driving it, showing it, and knowing that all that hard work (and money) was a success. I have to wonder, though, what is it that makes an owner invest that so much time and treasure to make a half-breed like this? No criticism intended, but he surely won’t get all his time and treasure investment recovered, no matter how much/little he sells it for. And how satisfying can a car be???